Initiatives Online

March 2003

Mercy in Des Moines Helps Found Consortium for Chronic Care

Mercy Health Network, Des Moines, Iowa, is a founder of the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium, a collaboration of public, private, academic and governmental participants. The consortium’s mission is to build Iowa’s capacity to bring effective chronic care strategies to residents through widespread access and routine practice. During fiscal year 2004, the consortium will deploy three to five initiatives that will demonstrate effective chronic care strategies for heart failure and diabetes, focusing on the use of telemanagement and access for rural Iowans. The demonstration projects will be supported by $750,000 in federal and state funding.
For more information, contact David Vellinga, president and chief executive officer of Mercy Health Network at dvellinga@mercydesmoines.org, or Dave Hickman, Mercy’s director of clinical integration, at hickmand@mercyhealth.com.